Bobbin-clutch for rotatable spindles.



PATENTED NOV. 29, 1904.

G. E. METOALP. BOBBIN CLUTCH FOR ROTATABLE SPINDLES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26. 1904.

N0 MODEL.

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STATES Iatented November 29, 1904. i

PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE E. METCALF, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTITS, ASSIGNOR TO SAW YERSPINDLE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

BOBBlN-CLUTCH FOR- ROTATABLE SPINDLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 776,141, dated November29, 1904.

Application filed September 26,1904. Serial No. 225,910. (No model.)

To all who/n it 777/(LZ/ concern.-

Be it known thatLCLARENoE E. l\lE1.OALF, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of l-lopedale, county of Worcester, State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Bobbin-Clutches forRotatable Spindles, of which the following-description, in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters onthe drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of a simple, compact,and eflicientbobbin-clutch which operates by or through the action ofcentrifugal force to externally engage and firmly hold the bobbin inoperative position upon the spindle.

Various centrifugally-acting bobbin-clutching devices have beenconstructed to engage internally and retain a bobbin in operativeposition upon a spinning or other rotatable spindle and in United StatesPatent No. 7 11.638 clutching means to engage the bobbin externally.

I have herein simplified the construction of a bobbin-clutch of thelatter type, strengthened various parts thereof, and cheapened the costthereof, and the various novel features of my invention will be fullydescribed in the following specification,and particularly pointed out inthe claims appended thereto.

Figurel is a side elevation and partial section on the line 1 1, Fig. 1,of a rotatable spindle having one embodiment of my invention appliedthereto, a portion of a bobbin being shown in section in connectiontherewith. Fig. 2 is a much enlarged sectional detail on the line 1 1,Fig. 4, to more clearly illustrate the construction. Fig. 3 is anenlarged perspective view of one of the clutch members. Fig. t is atransverse section on the line 1 4, Fig. 1, looking down, the clutchmembers and the retaining member therefor being omitted; and Fig. 5 is aperspective view of the retaining member detached.

Referring to Fig. 1, the spindle A is shown as having an attached sleeve41, provided with a whirl W, a construction common in sleevewhirlspinning-spindles and which is a convenient form to illustrate inconnection with my present invention. Above the whirl the sleeve a hassecured to it the hub (1. of an annular upturned or tubular carrier 1,having a relatively thick bottom 2, provided with a series of radialsockets 3, easily formed by drilling inward from the periphery of thecarrier. The carrier-wall is reduced in thickness at its upper end, asat 1, and this reduced portion is provided with'apertures or notches 5equal in number to the sockets 3 and vertically above them. Herein threesockets and notches are shown (see Fig. 4) symmetrically arranged atequal distances apart. The exterior of the carrier 1 has a series ofelongated axial grooves 0r seats 6 formed therein and registering attheir upper and lower ends with the notches 5 and sockets 3,respectively, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Bobbin-clutching membersare loosely mounted in the seats and, referring to Fig. 3, eachclutching member is shown as comprising a flat elongated body 7, anenlarged and inturned head 8, and a flat nearly-circular foot 9.

The body of the clutching member loosely fits in the seat 6, while itshead projects into the notch 5 at the upper end thereof, the flattenedunder edge 10 of thehead resting on the bottom of the notch, so that theclutching member is suspended outside of the carrier and is fulcrumcd onthe bottom of the notch.

The foot 9 closes the mouth of the socket 3, within which is located acentrifugally-acting controller, shown as a metal ball 11, while thehead 8 projects within the carrier.

The body of the clutching member is of less thickness than the depth ofthe seat 6, (see Fig. 2,) so that some rocking movement may take place,and when the foot of the clutching member is swung outward its headmoves farther into the carrier. In order to retain said members inoperative position, a retainer, shown as a tubular metallic shell 12,(see Fig. 5,) is forced. onto the exterior of the carrier with a drivingiit,-the upper end of the retainer being bent to present an inturnedannular flange 13, which overhangs the heads 8 and rests upon thereduced part 1 of the car rier. This is shown clearly in Fig. 2-and alsoon a smaller scale in Fig. 1, wherein the re tainer is shown in sectionat each side of the carrier.

Rotation of the spindle acts through the operation of centrifugal forceto move the controllers ll outward against the feet 9 of the clutchingmembers, rocking the latter and moving the heads 8 in toward the centerof the spindle (see dotted lines, Fig. 2) into operative position, thedepth of the seat 6 permitting such rocking or swinging of the clutchingmembers. Now when a bobbin B is applied to the spindle A, its headslipping down over the sleeve a, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the enlargedbobbin-head Z) presses the clutching-heads 8 outward until it passesbelow them and rests on the bottom 2 of the carrier 1. Thereupon theheads 8 immediately return to operative position, engaging the exteriorof and holding in position the bobbin-head and rotating the same withthe spindle. The sleeve (4 serves to center the bobbin, and the latteris vertically sustained by the bottom 2 of the carrier, said bottom thusserving as a bobbin-rest.

Manifestly there is nothing exposed to catch loose ends of yarn. Thestructure is simple and compact, and it is thoroughly efficient.

I have shown a well-known form of bobbin in position in Fig. 1; but theparticular form- A is shown and described herein.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination,with a rotatable spindle having an attached upturned,annular carrier, of a plurality of bobbin-clutching members mounted torotate with and fulcrumed near their upper ends on said carrier, meansoperating by or through centrifugal force to move the upper ends of saidmembers inward into position to engage and hold the exterior of abobbin-head, and means to retain said mem bers on the carrier.

2. The combination with a rotatable spindle having an attached annularcarrier, notched at its upper edge and provided with a plurali ty ofexternal elongated seats symmetrically and axially arranged below thenotches, of a plurality of bobbin-clutching members located in the seatsand loosely fulcrumed in the'notches at or near their upper ends, meansto retain the said members in their seats while permitting them to swingradially on their fulcra, and centrifugally-acting means to move inwardthe upper ends of the said members 100 epgage and hold the exterior of abobbinieac 3. The combination,with arotatable spindle having an attachedupturned, annular carrier, having a plurality of symmetrically-locatednotches in its upper edge, of a series of bobbin-clutching membershaving inturned heads extended through the notches and fulcrumed on thebottoms of the notches, means to retain the said members on the carrierwhile permitting them to rock radially, and centrifugallycontrolledmeans to act upon and move outward the lower ends of the clutchingmembers and thereby move their heads inward into operative position.

4. A rotatable spindle, an apertured carrier connected therewith, aplurality of centrifugally-acting bobbin-clutching members fulcrumed onthe carrier near their upper ends, each member having a bobbin-engaginghead movable inward through the apertures in the carrier, and means toretain the clutching members in position thereon.

5. A rotatable spindle, an annular carrier connected therewith andapertured at its upper end, a plurality of centrifugally-actingbobbin-clutching mem bers each having an enlarged head extended throughan aperture in the carrier and thereby pivotally suspended on theexterior of the same, and means to retain said members in position uponthe carrier while permitting limited radial swinging movement.

6. A rotatable spindle, an annular carrier connected therewith andapertured at its upper end, longitudinal seats in the exterior of thecarrier extending upward to each aperture, a plurality ofcentrifugally-acting bobbin-clutching members mounted in the seats, eachmember having an enlarged, inturned head extended through an apertureand fulcrumed on the bottom thereof, and a tubular retainer surroundingthe carrier and fast thereon, to retain the clutching members in theirseats.

7. A rotatable spindle, an annular carrier connected therewith andapertured at its upper end, a plurality of bobbin-clutching members eachhaving an inturned head extended through an aperture into the interiorof the carrier and pivotally suspended thereby on the outside of thecarrier, radially-movable, centrifugally-acting devices mounted in thelower part of the carrier to act upon and move outward the lower ends ofthe clutching members, to thereby cause their heads to engage and holdthe exterior of a bobbin-head, and means to retain said members inposition on the carrier.

8. A rotatable spindle having an attached, upturned tubular carrierhaving a plurality of notches in its upper edge and externalaxiallyarranged seats communicating with each notch, and a radial socketin the carrier at the lower end of each seat, a plurality ofbobbinclutching members mounted loosely in the seats and having enlargedinturned heads extended through and resting on the bottoms of thenotches, centrifugally-controlled balls in the sockets, to engage andpress outward the lower ends of said members, and a tubular shellsurrounding the carrier and retaining the clutching members in positionthereon.

9. The combination with av rotatable spindle, of a sleeve securedthereto and having an attached whirl and an annular, upturned carrierabove the whirl, a plurality of centrifugally acting bobbin clutchingmembers mounted on the exterior of the carrier, each of said membershaving an enlarged, inturned head extended within the carrier and bywhich the member is suspended, and means to retain said members inoperative position on the carrier.

10. The combination, with a rotatable spindle having an attached annularcarrier, of a plurality of axially and symmetrically arrangedbobbin-clutching members pivotally mounted on said carrier, each memberhaving at its upper end a head to engage and hold the exterior of abobbin-head, and a series of bers mounted to rotate therewith, and movrable to engage the exterior of a bobbin and rotate the same with thespindle, and centrifugally-actmg controllers to unplngc upon and renderthe clutching members operative.

12. The combination, with a rotatable spindle, of a plurality ofbobbin-clutching members mounted to rotate therewith and adapted toengage a bobbin and rotate the same with the spindle, andradially-movable centrifugally-acting controllers to impinge upon andrender the clutching members operative.

In testimony whereof I. have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CLARENCE E. METUALF.

Witnesses:

Gnonen O'rls DnArnn, Ennnsr W. Wool).

